Secure your PC with Patch Management Software

Are you securing your PC with just antivirus software? Computer security is more than just this; it has to be multi-layered. One of those layers should be patch management. Find out why this is so important, yet goes unnoticed by the average computer user.

Antivirus alone is not enough

The average computer user will have antivirus protection installed on their PC and think they are safe. After all, when you click on a less than legit site, a popup tells you the Trojan has been blocked. When you download a bad file, it moves it to quarantine; preventing any damage to your PC or files.

But what about the viruses that you don’t see? We’ve all seen adware: pesky popups; redirecting your browser to other sites, installing programs and cluttering your desktop. But things such as malware go unannounced, sitting quietly and watching your activity.

Hackers and Cyber Criminals

Hackers and cyber criminals know most computer users have antivirus; so why waste time creating a virus that will only get sussed out? One alternative way they are successful is through vulnerabilities in software.

Software is rarely perfect; that’s why vendors continuously release updates and patches. Without these patches, the vulnerabilities and holes in the software act as a gateway to your PC for hackers – and you may never know about it.

The patch management process

Take Windows operating system for example. It notifies you automatically of an update to make sure you’re protected against known threats. Adobe too notifies you if there is an update for Flash Player for example. But not all software make you aware of an update – particularly third party applications.

That means you have to check every single program installed on your PC to ensure it’s up-to-date. Don’t forget, this has to be on a regular basis to. Can you imagine how tiresome that would be? That’s where patch management software comes to the rescue.

Patch management software

Patch management software takes the hassle out of the process by doing it automatically. It scans your programs, checks for any patches and alerts you if there are any to be installed.

With your programs unpatched, it leaves you vulnerable to cybercriminals. From here, they have full access to your files. Think of all the sensitive information you have stored. Log in details to online banking can also be stolen; you could be a victim of identity theft.

The idea of patch management is simple, yet many fail still believe all they need is antivirus.

Why you need patch management software

Do you use patch management software? What are your tips for securing your PC other than antivirus?